The three-year Franco-Russian “Volga” liquid oxygen (LOX)/methane (CH4) reusable rocket engine programme has concluded that the technology offers improvements in performance, combustion stability and cooling over LOX/kerosene engines.
France’s space agency Cnes has been encouraged by the results and proposes further study under the European Space Agency’s future launcher preparatory programme.
The LOX/CH4 engines could also become part of the five-year, €200 million ($235 million) Franco-Russian future launcher research project, Oural, signed in March. “Cnes and Russia’s Federal Space Agency are now discussing an expansion of this co-operation,” says Snecma Moteurs. The first LOX/CH4 hardware tests were conducted in 2003 at the country’s Onera aerospace research centre.
The Volga programme was initiated by Cnes and Snecma Moteurs in 2001.
Source: Flight International